Walking in Grace, Stepping Out in Faith

Day 4-Hope over Devastation

This past Saturday, I had the opportunity and privilege to ride with my dad to my hometown of Rockport, TX. Having spent half of my life growing up there on the coast, I was anxious to see first-hand the destruction and devastation from Hurricane Harvey. The pictures I usually take never do justice to the reality of what the eye beholds, but I will attempt to tell the story through pictures and word captions.

This is the house in Holiday Beach my grandfather built in 1970 for my grandmother as their weekend home. My dad remembers coming down several times to stay there. We moved there when I was 8 years old and my sisters 7 and 1. We shared a bedroom in this home and I remember my sister Rochelle falling of the top bunk one night and remaining asleep while everyone in the house awoke. The same sister would sling me off our go-cart in front of this driveway. Multitudes of days spent watching the sunrise and set and huge trout caught right off our pier.This home was also built my grandfather and our good neighbors Harvey and Gladys lived there. Yes, ironic that Hurricane Harvey would take out their house.After visiting Holiday Beach, we visited Lamar Cemetary. This is where my grandparents and great-grandparents are buried. I had not been to the cemetery since my grandmothers funeral in 2013When we go to the tombstones, we were surprised to see the headstone hanging off the edge. You can see where the silicon or glue was supposed to keep it in place.It took all my dad and I had in us to push that headstone back in place. But as you can see, with God’s strength we got it!Of course, we had to visit the Big Tree! Still standing strong for over 1,000 years.The long bridge going into Rockport. You can’t see it from this picture, but the fishing pier where I skunked my husband the first two weeks of our marriage is on the right.This is the store/bait stand at the bridge pier into Rockport. It has totally collapsed and the bridge is closed while they continue to determine if any structural damage has occurred.Street after street lined with debris and household items ruined by the rain.Buildings ripped apart by the 125+mph winds

Homeowners and volunteers everywhere taking down the remains of their homes and businesses.Flemings Bait stand where hundreds of crabs were purchased for our weekend barbecue crab cookouts.Before dad and I left, we made a stop at First Baptist Rockport. As you can see they were hit pretty hard too. We were able to visit with the youth pastor and learn more about how people can help and the goodness that God is showing through all of this.

Please continue to pray for the lives and livelihood of all the men, women, and children affected by the hurricane not just in the Houston area, but all along the South Texas Coast. It will be a long time in the recovery process, but one that will faithfully show God’s steadfast love.

Dad and I left Rockport encouraged instead of hopeless. We serve a God who delights in using His people to be the hands and feet of His unending love.